Fighting Love by Abby Niles
Entangled Publishing, LLC
Publication Date: December 31, 2013
Date Read: December 29, 2013
In the interest of full disclosure, I received an advance reader
edition of this book from Entangled Publishing and Net Galley for the
purpose of providing an honest review.
I enjoyed this book and
would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. It was a quick, easy read. According
to Goodreads, this is the second book in a series. I have not read the
prior book in the series and did not feel lost or like I missed any part
of a greater story arc at any time. This book can definitely be read
as a stand alone book.
Tommy and Julie have been best friends for
23 years. Tommy has hit a rough patch in his life at the start of the
book. Not only has he been banned from MMA fighting, having once held
the championship belt, his house burns down and all of his possessions
are gone. He calls Julie to help him and she invites him to stay at her
home.
Julie values her friendship with Tommy but has always
been in love with him. While living together, she decides that she
wants to see if there could be something more between them. There are
some ups, some downs, some hot steamy sex, some jealousy, some
heartbreak, a few memories, and love in the end.
At the
beginning of the book, I felt myself liking the heroine over the Hero.
Tommy had lost a lot because of the party boy lifestyle he adapted after
winning the title. He was determined to keep Julie, his one true
friend, firmly in the friend zone. Meanwhile Julie was loyal and
patient and told him things he needed to hear even when he did not want
to. Once the couple started having a romance, I found myself switching
side. Tommy seemed like the one determined to make things work after he
had committed to try but Julie was quick to give up on him just for
feeling a bit ignored. It did not ring true to me that Julie would give
up so easily after loving Tommy for 23 years.
I thought the
author wrote the sections from the male perspective very well. I would
have liked to have seen more concerning the MMA fights. This was the
first book that I read with a MMA fighter character and I would have
liked a few more scenes focused on the sport. I also felt that the
characters seemed younger than 33 as they were written. I really liked
how everything tied together at the end of the book. I would recommend
this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance. I plan to look for
future book by Abby Niles.
